Man charged with threatening court official, harassing trooper

DUDLEY — A former Webster man who was angered because his court date could not be changed allegedly threatened a court office manager and placed harassing phone calls to a state trooper.

Stephen C. Stone, 27, of Naples, Fla., pleaded not guilty July 23 to two counts each of witness intimidation and criminal harassment and three counts of larceny under $250. Mr. Stone, who also goes by Stephen Grassey, was ordered held on $20,000 bail..

According to a report by Sgt. Daniel J. Wildgrube of the state police detective unit in Worcester, Mr. Stone called Dudley District Court on Feb. 21 to have his court date changed. He had been cited by Webster police on Jan. 27 for having an unregistered van and unlawfully attaching registration plates.

A year earlier Mr. Grassey had threatened to shoot up the court with an AK-47, the complaint said.

He allegedly asked if Ms. Larson remembered him and knew what he was capable of. He "promised" to go to the courthouse swinging and asserted that this was a "promise," not a threat, state police said.

Mr. Stone went on to say everyone in the courthouse would be "taken out" after he followed them home.

He allegedly used obscenities to refer to the office manager and everyone in the office, the complaint said.

Later that day, Trooper Michael A. Leo at the detective unit in Worcester called Mr. Stone, who allegedly admitted he was belligerent and abusive to the court official.

The trooper warned Mr. Stone that all threats would be taken seriously and further calls would result in criminal charges.

At about 4:50 p.m. March 7, Mr. Stone allegedly called the trooper insisting that he help him change his court date. He began using vulgar language and offensive words, so the trooper terminated the phone call, the report said.

Twenty-five minutes later Mr. Grassey allegedly called the trooper's home phone and reached Trooper Leo's wife. He allegedly asked personal questions. The trooper's wife became scared and hung up, the report said.

At about 6:30 p.m. March 7, Mr. Grassey allegedly called a local police department requesting a well-being check for "my friend Mike Leo."

A local police sergeant went to the trooper's house. The trooper told him about the situation with Mr. Stone.

During the exchange a delivery man showed up with two pizzas. No one at the trooper's home had ordered the pizzas, which were sent back.

Another food delivery man arrived with grinders, the report said.

The food had been ordered from Mr. Stone's cellphone, investigators said.

At about 9 that night the trooper received five or six calls from Mr. Stone's cellphone. The trooper allowed the calls to go to his voice mail. No messages were left.

Later that night a Webster limousine arrived because of a request to send the trooper to the airport. The trooper had not requested a limo, the report said.

On March 8 six more phone calls from an unknown number were placed to the trooper's cellphone. No messages were left.

At about 9 a.m. Mr. Stone called the trooper and asked if he was ready to help him change his court date, state police said.

Mr. Stone also called the state police detective unit several times demanding to speak with Trooper Leo or his supervisor. Because he was "belligerent and unreasonable" the calls were terminated, the report said.

At about 4 p.m. March 8, the mother of Webster police officer Joshua Collins received a call at her home asking to speak with the officer. The caller identified himself as Stephen Stone. The mother became concerned about her son, who does not live with her.

On March 8, Mr. Stone allegedly posted Officer Collins' mother's address and phone number and Trooper Leo's address and home phone number on the Webster police Facebook page.

That day he called state police and allegedly admitted he had called the Leo household and arranged to have pizzas, grinders and a limousine sent to the home.